Page 28

Lucan

Indigestion

Kieran returned from whatever gloryhole he’d dropped the bastard’s car into. The owner of the hotel was nowhere to be found, but once I’d cleared all trace of the waste of human male ever setting foot in this place, I put a call into the paranormal authority division.

We waited for over an hour for the helicopter to arrive. Dion—our tiger shifter liaison in the division—looked rough as he jumped out of the bird in full black camo fatigues.

“The local human authorities have their hands full managing the breakdown, so they won’t start an investigation all the way out here. As far as I’m concerned, this never happened,” he spoke to Kieran.

That was fine by me. I didn’t much like dealing with the government these days.

“But I would like to know about these rumors involving the runes and a human mate,” Dion said.

Kieran looked at me.

I stepped away.

“We’ll tell you more when we learn more,” my cousin said.

They taped off the destroyed room and then the helicopter flew into the air.

It wasn’t enough—not the cover-up job—but the suffering of the human waste before he met his well-deserved end. If I could go back in time and make it worse for him, I would.

“Will she be okay?” Kieran came to stand beside me as I stood in the setting desert sun staring at the jagged rock formation in the distance.

My Riley was a tiny figure as she scaled the outcropping.

Careful…

“She’ll be fine.”

“You still haven’t claimed her,” Kieran spoke in that calming tone of his that could stop dragon clans from tearing out each other’s throats. “Not that I’m rushing you, but if our theory is correct—”

“Why haven’t you forced Malachy to come in?” I changed the subject. With all this theoretical nonsense, it was the guardian who really mattered.

Wasn’t it?

“No one forces Malachy to do anything.” Kieran gave a bitter laugh.

The desert wind blew in the silence that followed.

Feminine whispers drifted to us on the breeze from where Ember and Willow sat talking on the hood of the Bronco.

After a few beats, Kieran sighed. “I don’t want to get his hopes up if this isn’t the answer.”

“And these scrolls of yours say that Riley is the answer?” I knew they didn’t, but I wanted to remind him that he had no claim to my mate.

“The scrolls don’t tell us anything.” Kieran glanced back at his female. I recognized that lovestruck look in his eyes. “They’re the answer. I feel it in my bones. But we need more information to understand why.”

“Riley is not your test subject.” I turned away from my cousin.

Watch it… I breathed slowly through my nose, trying to contain the protective nature of my beast as Riley slid down the rock face a foot, gripping a bush to steady herself.

“I know that,” Kieran said. “But she is a part of something bigger than us.”

“I won’t rush her.”

“Even if the fate of the world lies in her hands?” Kieran asked softly so as not to rile my beast.

“Especially not then.” I looked at him from the corner of my eye. “Earth can burn for all I care. As long as my Riley enjoys the warmth of the flames.”

I saw the fear flash in his eyes.

Sacrilege is what they’d say.

I waited for Earth to voice her disapproval, ready to fly at a moment’s notice if anything happened to my mate.

All was quiet and still.

Kieran clasped my shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. “You know, I’ve missed our conversations. If this is all that comes from it, I’m glad we’re speaking again.”

Old age has turned him soft . I chuckled to myself.

No. It was a pretty girl that did that.

“It’s good to visit with you again, cousin.” I winced as Riley fell to her butt, then felt pride as she stood, brushing off her backside.

“Make sure to come around more. We’ll have a dinner.” Kieran released my shoulder. “But first, go be with your mate before she gives us all a heart attack.”

∞

My dragon wings tucked into my side as the shadows dispersed. I pulled on the pair of pants I’d dropped from my talons before landing. My skin was dragon-scale thick, but goat head thorns sucked and I preferred to keep them out of more delicate places.

I perched on the ledge of a boulder, extending my hand.

Sweaty, chest-heaving, and beautiful, Riley looked at my hand before grasping it and pulling herself up to the peak.

“I’m surprised you let me get all the way up here alone,” she huffed, but there was no real anger in her tone.

I sat down on the boulder and let my feet hang off the side, looking out over the world as the sun set on the mountains behind us, and waited for Riley to catch her breath.

“You’re capable of doing things without me,” I spoke softly, letting the wind carry my words.

She heard them anyway.

Her words came back to me just as soft and a little broken, “Did I kill him?”

My throat tightened at the sound of her fear. I didn’t care what anyone said. If you had half a heart, it always cracked a bit when you took another life.

“No,” I said. “But I did when I ate him.”

“You…” her little gag made me chuckle, “ate him?”

“My dragon did.” I leaned closer so our shoulders brushed as the wind picked up her hair and blew it around. There was a lump on her scalp.

I tightened my fists, staying steady.

I should’ve taken smaller bites.

“I told Ember that dragons eat people.” Her fingers brushed against my hand.

I relaxed my fist as her fingers laced through mine, feeling relief at being able to hold her hand at such lofty heights.

“How did he taste?” she asked.

“Nasty.” I shivered. “We don’t make a habit of eating humans. Especially the bitter ones. I’ll have heartburn for weeks.”

The way Riley smiled filled my chest with warmth. Her face was more vibrant and alive than the setting sun that cast her in an ethereal glow.

“This is so strange.” She shook her head. “I never imagined I’d end up here.”

“I’ll say,” I teased. “I didn’t take you for a free climber.”

She laughed—a real laugh—as she moved closer to whisper in my ear. “Can I tell you a secret?”

I nodded.

“I’m afraid of heights.”

“Then why did you…” My voice trailed off as she leaned forward to peer over the edge of the cliff.

Her heart rate increased, but she seemed to enjoy the view. “I spent the last few years being told what to do and judged for everything I did. No more.”

“No more,” I echoed, still holding her hand.

“I’m serious.” She turned to face me. “I don’t want to be in a cage ever again.”

“Never again.” I nodded, knowing I’d give her whatever she wanted, even if that meant I had to one day let her go.

Not yet—and especially not until she was safely on flat ground—and not until I’d exhausted all other options to get her to fall in love with me.

“Good. Now can you take me home?” she asked.

“Home?”

Does she mean….

Riley rested her head on my shoulder. “Dobby is probably pissed at me for leaving him alone like that.”

She meant home!

Our home. Our nest.

Not back with her friends or to the cabin. Her home with me. My heart soared as my dragon roared.

Riley sighed as she stared at our conjoined hands.

I caught her chin and lifted her face, looking down into her beautiful eyes. “I’ll take you home, but first, do you trust me?”

“With my life,” she said and that truth was worth any battle I’d fought. It made every scar worth it.

“Good.” I stood up and moved her safely back a distance as the shadows gathered to me, growing solid as they formed my dragon. “Then let’s see you jump.”

The smile that lit up her face was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen as I backed up into the air, stretching out my wings. “Three, two…”

Riley inhaled a few quick breaths and then let out a warrior’s scream as she took off running.

And my ferocious little mate was laughing as she leaped into the sky.